03 Monday Oct 2016
Posted in cooking, food & drink, home, retail therapy
So I think I NEED one of these. Not sure if I actually need it more than I need a supersonic hair dryer, but at least this is more affordable. I have no idea how it works, but if it can make great chips like this with next to no oil then I’m in. Especially as diet and exercise changes are in the works. If you have an air fryer, or have used one, I’d love to hear your opinions.
30 Friday Sep 2016
Posted in gadgets, hair, retail therapy
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I read a consumer review on the new Dyson “supersonic” hairdryer last week (don’t ask, it popped up on Twitter during the night when I should have been sleeping). I thought it sounded amazing, but was sure it wouldn’t make it to Spain for awhile. So imagine my surprise when I saw one on display at the Corte Inglés today! The assistant there gave me a demo, I got to hold it in my hands, I fell in love.
But just like the Dyson bladeless fans that I adore, I’m afraid I will just have to occasionally visit this baby at the store. One day I might be able to justify buying a fan/heater with a crazy pricetag, but 390€ for a hair dryer?? I don’t think so… or could I?
06 Saturday Aug 2016
Posted in food & drink, friends, gastronomy, getaways, london, restaurants, retail therapy, travel, trips
Friday was SHOPPING DAY, as I had a few places I wanted to check out in the Regent & Oxford street area. I hopped on my trusty number 15 bus, which took me directly to Trafalgar Square, just around the corner from Regent Street (not the shortest route, but saved me from having to take the Tube). I got off the bus and immediately lost my 4G connection, so Maps stopped working too. Then I started crossing the square and – who knows why? – just after taking this photo I was overcome by one of the worst panic attacks I’d had in years. In fact, since the whole cancer thing I’d pretty much stopped having attacks, but suddenly there I was terrified in the middle of Trafalgar Square. Somehow I got to the other side and saw two women talking in the street, so I went over and asked them for directions to Regent Street. This calmed me down a bit (distraction therapy) and I was able to carry on, but then realised the time (going on 2 pm) and decided to stop somewhere for lunch first. A nearby-ish recommendation from my Twitter pal Robin @HERMANOPRIMERO proved to be the perfect spot for solo dining.
I got a place at the bar and ordered a couple of tasty dishes, had a couple of glasses of wine, and thus fortified I was suddenly much less “panicked” and able to head out shopping…
hot butter devilled shrimps
black pork Kari Dosa with chutneys: coriander, tomato, coconut
What followed was a four-hour shopping expedition, mostly fruitful. I got some new clothes – Sevilla has very little “fat lady” clothes that aren’t awful polyester numbers better suited to grandmothers and maiden aunts. But man, it was hell walking in totally packed Oxford street, with many people staring at their phones as they walked, so bumping into everyone else. At some point I heard back from my friend Lizzie @hollowlegs who said she was able to get away from work early after all and would meet me at Noble Rot Wine Bar for their famous slip sole (apparently one of the trendiest dishes in London atm). Yes! But that meant getting there. From Oxford Street it looked a straighforward walk, but once again I got lost and – once again – Peter came to the rescue, directing via WhatsApp messages. And I finally arrived…
slip sole with smoked pimentón butter
roast saddleback chop, coco de paimpol beans and salsa verde
Lizzie chewing on a bone
It was great to catch up with Lizzie and hear all about her new job. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to join the couple of group dinners I’d arranged so I was really happy she made the extra effort to join me here for a quick bite, even though she had to get up at 5.30 the next morning. We called it quits around 9.30 and Lizzie also helped me order my first Uber! I got home exhausted and happy, and wondering how I was going to fit my new stuff into my already over-stuffed suitcase. There was only one solution – I’d have to buy another bag.
01 Monday Aug 2016
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I’ve been wanting a pair of Bernie Mevs for ages. Cute and comfortable footwear. Today I was actually on the hunt for another pair of comfy Skechers but no luck. Normally August isn’t the time I go shoe shopping (as opposed to sandal shopping) but this recent London weather forecast is promising RAIN for my first three days there, and sandals just won’t do. Neither will shoes that require socks or tights, and my old Skechers are, well, old. So now I have these! Trust me, they’re cuter on than they look in this photo, and super comfy. And if they get wet, they’ll dry out fast.
Now I have to finish PACKING for the next #LondonGetaway… one more sleep!
23 Saturday Jul 2016
Posted in home, retail therapy, sevilla, shopping, spain
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I always like to take advantage of the summer and winter sales here to stock up on basic stuff like sheets & towels, so today I went out to see what I might find and ended up with a whole whack of towels and one new set of sheets for me. I thought I was being quite decadent until I checked back on the blog (so handy that) and saw that the last time I splashed out on new sheets was in 2013 (I honestly thought it was much more recent). Then I was shocked to see that my last new towel purchase was a year before that! Well, judging by the state of my towels I shouldn’t have been that shocked, but whatever. Now I have lots of everything, though I still want to get a second set of new sheets for me.
What’s weird is that for at least the past 25 years or so, I have never bought patterned sheets. Or coloured towels. I’ve always had a thing for white or off-white when it came to sheets and towels (and nightdresses too, come to that). Okay, a little embroidery was fine, but no colours, other than in quilts and duvet covers. And suddenly today I wanted these happy bright poppies on my sheets and deep blue for the “guest” (actually roommate) towels. Roommate also got new sheets along with the new bed in May, so I am feeling totally up-to-date in that department.
So what to do with the massive pile of old towels and sheets? Well, what I always do with old clothes and such. I wait until after 8 pm and leave them next to the bins up on the main road near me, in unsealed bags so people can easily see what’s inside. And they are usually gone within an hour or so (municipal rubbish pick up is long after midnight).
I don’t even know what’s “normal” when it comes to stuff like this, buying new sheets and towels. Once a year? Every two years? Three? Also, as I said in another blog post, this has never been a huge priority for me. I always prefer to spend my money on experiences. How about you?
casa azahar 